| ![Show Contents]() Blane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of BlaneWhat does the name Blane mean? The ancestors of the families to use the name Blane lived among the Boernicians of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name comes from the Gaelic personal name Bleen, which means yellow. Saint Blane (Blaan) was "one of the earliest bishops of Kingarth in Bute, is commemorated in the Martyrology of Oengus at August 10: 'With a host, sound, of noble birth, well-coloured, fair Blaan of Kingarth.' His name is from bid, that is yellow, from blavos. He is probably also the saint commemorated in the Calendar of Gorman as Blaan buadach Breton, 'triumphant Blaan of the Britons.' He gave name to Kilblane in Southend, Kintyre, and to Dunblane. According to a Bute legend he was mysteriously begotten of a water-sprite." 1 Early Origins of the Blane familyThe surname Blane was first found in Ayrshire and Wigtownshire where the name is a "reduced form of MacBlain." 1 One of the first records of the family was that of "Blahan, presbyter of Litun probably Linton in Roxburghshire witnessed a quitclaim by Robert, Bishop of St. Andrews, 1127." 1 "Patrick Blane was provost of the burgh of Wigtown in 1561, and John Blain had a charter of the half of the ten-mark lands of Meikle-Wig in the parish of Whithorn in 1674. Agnes Blain [was] in the parish of Kirkcudbright, 1684." 1 Across the border in Yorkshire, England Andrew Blayne, Bleyn was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1219 and Nicholas Bleyne Was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls for Suffolk in 1275. Hamo de Blein was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Kent in 1219. Later John Blayne was found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1507. Down here, it is thought that the name was derived from the Old Welsh Bledgint, Middle English Blethyn. 2 While the aforementioned early origins are the traditional understandings of the origin of the family, one source claims the name to be "from the town of Blain, in Bretagne, France. Blaen, in the Welsh, signifies the summit or top; the same as pen, brig, and bar, the highest part of a mountain; the end or top of an object; the inland extremity of a glen; a leader or chief." 3 Early History of the Blane familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blane research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1561, 1660, 1674, 1749, 1750, 1771, 1778, 1780, 1793, 1795, 1834, 1835 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Blane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Blane Spelling VariationsBefore the printing press and the first dictionaries appeared, names and other words were often spelled differently every time they were written. Blane has appeared under the variations Blain, Blane, Blaine, Blaines, Blahan and others. Early Notables of the Blane familyNotable amongst the family at this time was - Sir Gilbert Blane (1749-1834), Scottish physician, the fourth son of Mr. Gilbert Blane of Blanefield, Ayrshire, where he was born on 29 Aug. 1749. At the age of fourteen he was sent to the University...
- In 1780 Blane brought out a small book 'On the most effectual means for preserving the Health of Seamen, particularly in the Royal Navy.' Later on, in 1793, his recommendation of lemon-juice as a prev...
- William Blane FRS (1750-1835), was a Scottish gentleman, landowner and author of miscellaneous articles, son of Gilbert Blane of Blanefield (d.1771), brother to Sir Gilbert Blane
Blane RankingIn the United States, the name Blane is the 17,443rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4 Migration of the Blane family to IrelandSome of the Blane family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Blane migration to the United States | + |
The Scots who crossed the Atlantic were often on the run from poverty as well as persecution. They brought little with them, and often had nothing of their home country to hand down to their children. In the 20th century, Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations have helped the ancestors of Boernician Scots to recover their lost national legacy. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Blane were among those contributors:
Blane Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Mr. Chrles Blane, aged 40, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "La Bourgogne" 5
| Blane migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Blane Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Miss Harriet Blane, (b. 1824), aged 30, Cornish domestic servant departing from Plymouth on 19th August 1854 aboard the ship "Clara" arriving in Portland, Victoria, Australia on 19th November 1854 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Blane (post 1700) | + |
- John Propst Blane (b. 1929), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, 1982-85; Chad, 1985-88 7
- John Blane, American politician, Member of New Jersey State Senate from Hunterdon County, 1862-64 7
- John Blane, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hunterdon County, 1835-36 7
- Frank E. Blane, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 20th District, 1918 7
- Sir Gilbert Blane (1749-1834), Scottish physician, the fourth son of Mr. Gilbert Blane of Blanefield, Ayrshire 8
- Blane Wheatley (b. 1963), American film actor, known for Monarch of the Moon (2005), The Unnamable (1988) and Bluegrass (1988)
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Paritur pax bello
Motto Translation: Peace is obtained by war.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2030
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019
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